1. Field
The inventive concept relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device including bonding pads for wire bonding and test pads for probe testing only and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A pad area of a conventional semiconductor chip includes test pads and bonding pads. Bonding pads of a semiconductor chip are terminals through which a signal is input and output and through which the semiconductor chip is coupled to an external power supply. The bonding pads, unlike the test pads, may be wire bonded to a package substrate. After the semiconductor chip is fabricated, some of the bonding pads are tested using a test probe to check the electrical properties of the semiconductor chip. The test pads are also planned to be tested using a test probe but are not planned to be wire bonded. However, the test pads may be wire bonded due to an error.
FIG. 1A illustrates correct wire bonding in the pad area. As shown in FIG. 1A, only the bonding pads 1A are wire bonded, that is, none of the test pads 1B are wire bonded. FIG. 1B illustrates an incorrect wire bonding in the pad area. As shown in FIG. 1B, some of the bonding pads 1A are not wire bonded and some of the test pads 1B are wire bonded.
Referring to FIG. 1A, the bonding pads 1A planned to be wire bonded are all wire bonded, and the test pads 1B planned not to be wire bonded are not wire bonded. Referring to FIG. 1B, some of the bonding pads 1A planned to be wire bonded are not wire bonded, and some of the test pads 1B planned not to be wire bonded are wire bonded.
Whether wire bonding is performed with reliability may be determined by measuring the resistances of the bonding pads 1A that are wire bonded. However, since the resistances of the test pads 1B which are wire bonded in error are also measured, it is difficult to determine whether wire bonding is performed on the right pad, i.e. on the bonding pad 1A.